85 results about "Photoelectrolysis" patented technology

An apparatus for creating hydrogen from the disassociation of water using sunlight (photoelectrolysis) is provided. The system utilizes an aqueous fluid filled container which functions both to hold the water to be disassociated and as a light collecting lens. A photovoltaic module is positioned at a point to most efficiently accept the refracted light from the fluid filled container. A pair of electrodes which are coupled to the photovoltaic module are disposed within the fluid and configured to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

A photoelectrochemical cell which includes a light transmissive enclosure, a semiconductor photoanode disposed within the light transmissive enclosure, a semiconductor photocathode disposed within the light transmissive enclosure, and an electrolytic solution disposed entirely between the semiconductor photoanode and the semiconductor photocathode. This is achieved by the use of semiconductor photoelectrodes (photoanodes and photocathodes) which include a proton exchange membrane having an electrolyte facing surface in contact with the electrolytic solution and a light transmissive wall facing surface, and having a photo electro-catalyst disposed on the light transmissive wall facing surface.

The invention essentially consists in the use of melanins, melanin precursors or melanin derivatives, melanin variants, melanin analogues, natural or synthetic, pure or mixed with organic or inorganic compounds, metals, ions, drugs; as water electrolyzing material, using as sole or main source of energy, natural or synthetic light, coherent or not; in the systems of hydrogen production from water, known as photoelectrochemical systems. These systems integrate as semiconductor material and a water electrolyzer inside a monolithic design, to produce hydrogen directly from water, using light (between 200 to 900 nm) as the main or sole source of energy. At least to basic criteria had to be met: one was that the system or light absorbing compound should generate enough energy to start, lead and complete the photoelectrolysis reaction, being economical, stable and lasting in a water system, requirements met by melanins, representing thus an important and critical advance to solve the central problem of photoelectrochemical designs. The procedure can be applied to generate hydrogen, oxygen and high energy electrons, or the opposite sense, i.e., synthesizing water from the union of hydrogen and oxygen, generating electricity; it can be coupled to other processes, generating a multiplication effect; it can also be used for reduction of carbon dioxide, nitrates and sulphates or others.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

Compositions and methods for forming hexane, and, optionally, gasoline and / or components of a gasoline composition, from fermentable sugars are disclosed. The sugars are fermented using a bacteria or yeast that predominantly forms butyric acid. The butyric acid is subjected to Kolbe or photo-Kolbe electrolysis to form hexane. The hexane can be subjected to catalytic, reforming and / or isomerization steps to form higher octane products, which are or can be included in gasoline compositions. In one aspect, the fermentable sugars are derived from lignocellulosic materials such as wood products, switchgrass, or agricultural wastes. These materials are delignified to form lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. The cellulose and hemicellulose are depolymerized to form glycose and xylose, either or both of which can be fermented by the bacteria. The lignin can be used to generate heat energy and / or electric energy for use in one or more process steps, such as the fermentation, product isolation, Kolbe electrolysis, catalytic reforming and / or isomerization steps. Alternatively, the lignin can be converted to synthesis gas, which can then be subjected to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or converted to methanol and / or ethanol. Thus, the methods described herein can convert biomass to a fuel composition or fuel additive, which can be used in a conventional gasoline engine, unlike traditional fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.

The present invention relates to an industrial applicable process for the preparation of materials with nanometric dimensions and controlled shape, based on titanium dioxide. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of titanium dioxide nanorods with anatase phase composition, which are highly suitable for applications involving photovoltaic cells, particularly Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), photoelectrolysis cells and tandem cells for the conversion of solar energy and the production of hydrogen.

A system includes a photoelectrolysis system having a solar collector configured to collect and concentrate solar radiation to heat water, generate electricity, or both. The system also includes an electrolysis unit configured to electrolyze the heated water using at least the generated electricity to produce a first gas mixture and a second gas mixture. The first gas mixture includes oxygen and steam and the second gas mixture includes hydrogen and steam. The system further includes a first device configured to receive and use the first gas mixture as well as a hydrogen membrane configured to receive and separate the hydrogen and steam mixture into a hydrogen component and a steam component.